Turbocompounding revisited

Scania has introduced a new inline six-cylinder engine that uses technology developed 20 years ago to meet tomorrow's emissions requirements.

Facing increasingly challenging emissions compliance, engine manufacturers are going all out to develop new technological solutions that achieve the holy grail of balanced engine performance: power density, flexibility, and improved fuel consumption. The debate continues concerning the correct path engine manufacturers will pursue to reduce particulate matter (PM), NOx, and other emissions. While each manufacturer will obviously try to differentiate its products, similarities between marketing strategies are inevitable, focused primarily on reducing operating cost as a key sales catch.

At some point, however, the cost of all this activity must inevitably be passed on to the customer. While unit cost is important, total operating expenditures over a fixed time frame remain the consuming priority of fleet operators. With the high cost of fuel representing the greatest percentage of those costs, especially in Europe, there's low customer tolerance to any suggestion that increased fuel consumption is the accepted prerequisite for reduced emissions.